Gas supply system, gas supply control method and gas replacement method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016372348-A1
Application number	US-201615183891-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 16, 2016
Priority date	Jun 19, 2015
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Throughput of the processing can be improved. A gas supply system includes a plurality of element devices which constitute the gas supply system and a base 212 on which the plurality of element devices are disposed. Some of the element devices are disposed on a surface 212 a of the base 212 , and the others are disposed on a surface 212 b of the base 212 , which is opposite to the surface 212 a of the base 212 . The plurality of element devices may be implemented by, for example, a flow rate controller FD and a secondary valve FV 2 . The secondary valve FV 2 is disposed on the surface 212 b , which is opposite to the surface 212 a of the base 212 where the flow rate controller FD is disposed.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A gas supply system of supplying a gas into a processing apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of element devices which constitute the gas supply system; and a base on which the plurality of element devices are disposed, wherein some of the element devices are disposed on a first surface of the base and the others of the element devices are disposed on a second surface of the base, which is opposite to the first surface of the base.

2 . The gas supply system of claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of element devices comprises: a flow rate controller configured to control a flow rate of the gas; an upstream valve whose upstream side is connected to a supply source of the gas and whose downstream side is connected to the flow rate controller in a direction along which the gas is flown; and a downstream valve whose upstream side is connected to the flow rate controller and whose downstream side is connected to the processing apparatus in the direction along which the gas is flown, wherein the flow rate controller is disposed on the first surface of the base, and the upstream valve and the downstream valve are disposed on the second surface of the base.

3 . The gas supply system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a first pipeline, configured to connect the upstream valve and the flow rate controller, through which the gas is flown; and a second pipeline, configured to connect the flow rate controller and the downstream valve, through which the gas is flown, wherein each of the first pipeline and the second pipeline has a straight line shape and penetrates the base.

4 . The gas supply system of claim 3 ,
wherein the flow rate controller is a pressure type flow rate control device equipped with a control valve and an orifice, and a volume V 1 of a flow path of the gas between the control valve and the orifice and a volume V 2 of a flow path of the gas between the orifice and the downstream valve satisfy a relationship of V 1 /V 2 ≧9.

5 . The gas supply system of claim 4 ,
wherein the volume V 1 of the flow path of the gas between the control valve and the orifice and the volume V 2 of the flow path of the gas between the orifice and the downstream valve satisfy a relationship of V 1 /V 2 ≦200.

6 . The gas supply system of claim 3 ,
wherein the upstream valve is connected to a gas exhaust device via a gas exhaust valve.

7 . A gas supply control method of controlling a supply of a gas into a processing apparatus in a gas supply system configured to supply the gas into the processing apparatus,
wherein the gas supply system comprises: a flow rate controller configured to control a flow rate of the gas; an upstream valve whose upstream side is connected to a supply source of the gas and whose downstream side is connected to the flow rate controller in a direction along which the gas is flown; a downstream valve whose upstream side is connected to the flow rate controller and whose downstream side is connected to the processing apparatus in the direction along which the gas is flown; a base on which the flow rate controller, the upstream valve and the downstream valve are disposed; a first pipeline which is configured to connect the upstream valve and the flow rate controller and through which the gas is flown; and a second pipeline which is configured to connect the flow rate controller and the downstream valve and through which the gas is flown, wherein the flow rate controller is disposed on a first surface of the base, the upstream valve and the downstream valve are disposed on a second surface of the base, which is opposite to the first surface of the base, each of the first pipeline and the second pipeline has a straight line shape and penetrates the base, the flow rate controller is a pressure type flow rate control device equipped with a control valve and an orifice, a volume V 1 of a flow path of the gas between the control valve and the orifice and a volume V 2 of a flow path of the gas between the orifice and the downstream valve satisfy a relationship of V 1 /V 2 ≧9, and wherein the gas supply control method comprises: opening the upstream valve; and controlling the supply of the gas into the processing apparatus by opening/closing the downstream valve while allowing a pressure P 1 of the flow path of the gas between the control valve and the orifice and a pressure P 2 of the flow path of the gas between the orifice and the downstream valve to satisfy a relationship of P 1 >2×P 2 .

8 . A gas replacement method of replacing a gas within a gas supply system configured to supply the gas into a processing apparatus,
wherein the gas supply system comprises: a flow rate controller configured to control a flow rate of the gas; an upstream valve whose upstream side is connected to a supply source of the gas and whose downstream side is connected to the flow rate controller in a direction along which the gas is flown; a downstream valve whose upstream side is connected to the flow rate controller and whose downstream side is connected to the processing apparatus in the direction along which the gas is flown; a base on which the flow rate controller, the upstream valve and the downstream valve are disposed; a first pipeline which is configured to connect the upstream valve and the flow rate controller and through which the gas is flown; and a second pipeline which is configured to connect the flow rate controller and the downstream valve and through which the gas is flown, wherein the flow rate controller is disposed on a first surface of the base, the upstream valve and the downstream valve are disposed on a second surface of the base, which is opposite to the first surface of the base, each of the first pipeline and the second pipeline has a straight line shape and penetrates the base, the upstream valve is connected to a gas exhaust device via a gas exhaust valve, and wherein the gas replacement method comprises: opening the upstream valve and the gas exhaust valve; and exhausting the gas within a flow path of the gas at an upstream side of the flow rate controller by the gas exhaust device.

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Sawachi Atsushi
• Amikura Norihiko
• Sato Yoshiyasu

Classifications

• H10P50/283

  by chemical means · CPC title

• H10P72/0604

  Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring · CPC title

• H10P72/0402

  Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence) · CPC title

• H10P72/0421 Primary

  for drying etching · CPC title

• H01J37/32091

  the radio frequency energy being capacitively coupled to the plasma · CPC title